Fort Bend churches help homeless families get back on their feet

Nonprofit works to get homeless families back on their feet

Updated 3:23 pm, Friday, November 22, 2013

Linda Taylor, a member of Friendship Community Bible Church in Sugar Land, arranges slices of cake for families being helped by Family Promise.

Linda Taylor, a member of Friendship Community Bible Church in Sugar Land, arranges slices of cake for families being helped by Family Promise.

Photo: Suzanne Rehak, Freelance Photographer

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Parkway United Methodist Church volunteers Elizabeth Charkalis, 10, and her mother, Debra Charkalis, pour grated cheese into a bowl and stir cheese dip in preparation for a meal for Family Promise families. The church at 5801 New Territory is in Sugar Land.

Parkway United Methodist Church volunteers Elizabeth Charkalis, 10, and her mother, Debra Charkalis, pour grated cheese into a bowl and stir cheese dip in preparation for a meal for Family Promise families. The

Bennette Davis, member of the Friendship Community Bible Church in Sugar Land, warms French bread that she brought to feed families helped by Family Promise. The church at 420 Wood St. welcomes families to stay seven days.

Bennette Davis, member of the Friendship Community Bible Church in Sugar Land, warms French bread that she brought to feed families helped by Family Promise. The church at 420 Wood St. welcomes families to stay

She said Family Promise helps families who can't get services because they don't have those issues.

Johnson added that most shelters cater to just men or women or children. Fort Bend Family Promise allows parents to stay together with their children.

"This is a place where the family can be all under one roof," she said.

A group effort

Once admitted, guests have a new home base at the organization's day center.

"The day center has all the amenities of home," Johnson explained.

Each family has its own kitchen area. There are showers, washers and dryers, living rooms. The nonprofit administration and staff are onsite to provide customized assistance for each guest.

A network of 14 churches furnishes the sleeping accommodations for the families. The guest family and volunteers arrive at the host congregation at approximately 5:30 p.m. and remain overnight. Church volunteers provide the evening meal, breakfast and a bag lunch.

"The church transforms into a hotel for the families," Johnson said.

Participating churches host the families for one week, once a quarter. Fort Bend Family Promise then rotates guests through the 14 host congregations.

"We can provide housing for 365 days a year," she said.

Children are a top priority, Johnson said. One of the main objectives is to keep them in their usual schools.

"The consistency of being in school is maintained," she said. "We work with the school to provide transportation. That way the school year is never broken."

The system has several advantages, Johnson explained. The churches provide a home-like environment, and the families eat home-cooked meals.

The church space and volunteers from each congregation make the whole operation more cost-effective, she added.

"We don't have to pay to build a shelter," she said. "We have existing facilities that are already standing. We don't have to hire staff. The volunteers at the churches stay for the night."

Johnson said the program is also a model of a true community effort.

"All the churches are of different denominations," she said. "One way all these churches become unified is they all believe in family."

A helping hand

Most families stay with the group about 42 days.

"These are families who had homes, lived in our communities, go to our churches," Johnson said. "Their kids have gone to our school."

They just need a step up, she added.

"We try to reduce the output of finances so you can save what you're earning to re-establish your housing," she said. "You don't have to pay the light bill; you don't have to pay rent."

Johnson explained that the families work hard to earn their way back to a permanent home.

"To be a part of these families' success, it moves my heart every time," she said.

Board member Robbin Mallett became involved in the group after finding a notice on her church bulletin board.

"A lot of families are living paycheck to paycheck," she said. "Almost all the families in this program do work and have income, but they need help to bring them back to self-sufficiency."

Mallett has watched Fort Bend Family Promise make a difference in many lives.

"Sixty days can turn a family around," she said. "I feel the program is addressing a real need in the community. They would fall through the cracks if we didn't exist."

Mallett helped the group plan its annual fundraiser, the Happy ThanksGolfing Classic on Nov. 25 at Sweetwater Country Club.

Donations may also be made to Fort Bend Family Promise online and the group maintains a "Wish List" on its website at www.fortbendfamilypromise.org.

"The more I learn about this program, the more fabulous I think it is," Mallett said. "Just a little help can make a huge difference."

She believes that building families helps strengthen the community in general.

"These are people just like us who are going through a rough period," she said. "With a little help, they can get back on their own. You can really turn their lives around."